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On demand TV

On-demand TV is a offered by all of the major broadcasters, letting you watch whatever you like, whenever you like, via the internet. We're no longer slaves to the TV schedule and can watch content for free at a time convenient to us...

The way we watch TV is changing. We want to be more in
control over what we watch, not slaves to the TV schedules. 'On
demand' means exactly what it sounds like: TV programmes that are
available to watch when you want to watch them. Just click play and
go - no set timetables and sometimes not even any adverts.

It can come in the form of catch up TV, which lets you watch
episodes that aired in the last seven days; it can be box sets,
which give you instant access to full series with continuous
playback; or it could be movies to rent at the click of a button.
Think 4OD, Netflix, Sky Go, and so on.

Read on and we'll take a look at what kind of on demand TV you
can get with the major TV providers in the UK.

Virgin Media TV on demand

Catch up TV is available with all of Virgin Media's
(www.virginmedia.com) TV packages. You'll
get the four main catch up services - BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD
and Demand 5 - along with any extra your subscribtion includes,
like UKTV Play. The bigger the package, the more channels you'll be
able to watch on demand. And unlike other on demand services, Virgin Media
TV doesn't require a broadband connection or access to your
router - you can hook up to full seasons of your favourite shows
through just your TV cable.

Virgin TV Box Sets are a big draw, though they
only come with the top package. This is how you can binge-watch
some of your favourite shows, such as The Office (US) and
Suits.

You can also log into your Netflix account (or
sign up if you don't have one) with any Virgin Media TV package
that includes a TiVo box. Full House TV gives you access to the
Hayu app as well, and if you get Sky Cinema, Sky
Sports, or BT Sport, you'll get them on demand too.

All their TV packages let you use Virgin TV
Anywhere too, so you can watch TV anywhere from any
device - and that includes the on demand services you have access
to.

If you want more, there's also the Virgin TV
Store, where you can buy and rent a range of box sets.

Sky TV on demand

Catch up TV is included in all three TV
packages from Sky (www.sky.com), provided you have a Sky TV box and a
broadband connection. That's
all the basic catch up services - including BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub,
All4, and Demand 5 - that you can scroll back for up to 30
days.

As well as that, you can catch up with your favourite Sky TV
channels with Sky On Demand. Different Sky TV bundles come
with different channels, some of which are included in the catch up
range too. Altogether you can watch telly from up to 60 channels,
depending which package you pick.

If you add a Sky Cinema or subscription to your package, you'll get those on demand
as well. That means you can watch movies instantly or replay that
stunning goal whenever you want.

You can also watch exclusive box sets with Sky
TV that you won't find anywhere else, available with the Box Sets
Bundle. In fact, Sky offers the UK's widest selection of on demand
TV, with over 350 box sets to watch - and it's the only place where
you can get up to date with Game of Thrones. Along with that, you've
got award-winning shows like Broadchurch, Mad Men, and 24 to sink
your teeth into. You'll even get some of those in HD.

Got little ones to entertain? With the Variety and Box Sets
Bundles, you'll get over 4,500 episodes of kids'
shows on demand as well.

Sky Go is included in all three of Sky's TV
packages. That's the service that lets you watch Sky TV anywhere
from any device, and it includes catch up, box sets if you have the
Box Sets Bundle, and movies if you have Sky Cinema. And if that's
not enough, you can upgrade it to Sky Go Extra, which allows you to
download shows via Wi-Fi to watch later.

If you want to watch big movies at the same time as their DVD
release, you can also rent or buy them outright from Sky
Store. While not limited to Sky customers - anyone can
watch films with PC or smartphone - it works seamlessly with a Sky
TV box so you can watch in the living room. Rented movies can be
watched for up to 48 hours, but buying a film outright with Sky's
Buy & Keep service can prove particularly good value - not only
do you get the digital copy to watch as much as you like, you also
get the DVD sent through the post.

BT TV on demand

Both BT (www.bt.com) TV packages include a YouView box, and
that means you automatically get catch up TV. Go
back seven days on four catch up services - BBC iPlayer, ITV
Player, 4OD, Demand 5 - and get up to date with your favourite
programmes. Remember that for all YouView on demand services you'll
need a broadband connection with a minimum line speed of 2Mb.

BT TV's on demand services include a little
extra. You can watch box sets from all the above channels, plus
Milkshake!, STV (Scotland only), UKTV Play, Quest OD, AMC On
Demand, and Now TV (with a separate subscription). It's all
integrated neatly into YouView, so you needn't get stressed out
trying to find last week's Doctor Who. Simply scroll back in time
on the TV guide and YouView will do the rest for you. Or search by
genre to find something great to watch right now.

For the littluns, you can also add on thousands of episodes of
kids' telly with BT TV Kids - available with
top-end Total Entertainment package.

BT has a lot to offer in the way of movies as well. With
the BT Store, included in all BT TV packages,
you can rent films instantly, or even buy them to download and keep
from as little as £3.99.

There's a Sky Cinema bolt-on available too
- a rolling subscription to 11 Sky Cinema channels that you can add
and remove whenever you like. And with it comes Sky On
Demand to watch all those movies instantly.

And if all that isn't enough, you can add a
Netflix subscription to your BT bill too, and
watch it right there through your BT box.

BT TV Everywhere comes with both BT TV packages
too, so you can watch TV from any device - including catch up and
on demand services.

TalkTalk on demand

TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk) TV includes a YouView box too, so you'll get
access to basic catch up TV with both TalkTalk TV
packages. So once again, that's seven days of programmes to catch
up on from BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD, and Demand 5.

Other on demand services can be added on as part of TalkTalk
TV's 'Boosts'. These are bundles of channels that
you can add on a monthly rolling subscription. That means you can
start or stop subscribing to them from month-to-month on a
wonderfully flexible basis.

One of these is the Sky Cinema
Boost which lets you watch movies instantly -
including some of the latest blockbusters.

And then there's the TalkTalk Store -
an on demand service for movies, TV series, and episodes. You can
'rent' movies and TV shows for 48 hours, letting you watch them
instantly (and as many times as you can squeeze in in two days), or
buy them outright to keep. It's available for anyone - you don't
need a TalkTalk subcription to access it - but if you do have
TalkTalk TV you can access it super easily through your set-top
box.

The Netflix application is included with
YouView as well. Log in to your account or sign up for a new one -
you can even add the subscription to your TalkTalk bill if you
want.

And don't forget the TV2Go app that you can
download to all your devices, so you can access catch up and on
demand services wherever you are.

Freeview on demand

The great thing about Freeview is that it only requires a
one-off payment - there are no subscription fees. And if you splash
out on a Smart TV with a Freeview+ box and a broadband connection
you can access catch up TV as well from
the four main catch up services. Plus there are apps
for Netflix or Amazon Prime
Video if you have a subscription.

Freesat on demand

Freesat is
another option if you want subscription-free TV. With Freesat
you'll have access to catch up TV from BBC iPlayer
and ITV Player - or upgrade to Freetime and you'll get 4OD, Demand
5, YouTube, Curzon Home Cinema, and Hopster as well.

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